Israeli warplanes carried out eight airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province on Tuesday, marking the first reported attack on the facility since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024.
Syrian state television confirmed the strikes targeted the runway and storage facilities, reporting material damage but no casualties. The Israeli military declined to comment on the operation, while the Syrian defense ministry did not respond to requests for comment, according to the Associated Press.
Netanyahu Declares Security Agreement
Hours after the strikes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that Israel and Syria had agreed to maintain a security “status quo” on security matters. Netanyahu’s office claimed Syria was “on the verge of” allowing Turkish forces to deploy to the Abu al-Duhur airbase, which Israel viewed as a direct threat. The announcement surprised regional observers, as the two countries have technically been at war since 1948 and only opened direct negotiations after Assad’s ouster.
Turkey swiftly rejected Israel’s claims. The Turkish foreign ministry said Netanyahu was attempting to “justify” the airstrikes and accused Israel of seeking to destabilize Syria during its fragile transitional period. “Allegations lack seriousness,” the ministry stated, denying any plans to deploy troops to the airbase, as reported by Anadolu Agency.
UAE Condemns Violation of Sovereignty
The United Arab Emirates issued a sharply worded statement condemning what it called “confirmed Israeli airstrikes” on Syrian territory. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the attacks constituted a “flagrant violation of international law” and the 1974 Disengagement Agreement between Syria and Israel, according to ANI.
“The UAE categorically rejects any infringement on the sovereignty of Syria or threats to its security and stability,” the ministry said, calling on the international community to halt repeated Israeli attacks on Syrian territory. The statement reflected growing frustration among Gulf states with Israel’s expanding military footprint across the region during the broader US-Iran conflict.
Since Assad’s fall at the hands of an Islamist-led coalition, Israel has deployed troops in a UN-patrolled buffer zone separating the two countries’ forces and launched hundreds of strikes on Syrian military assets. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has been negotiating an agreement that would see Israel withdraw from areas it has occupied, while Israel has demanded a demilitarized zone in southern Syria.
The United States has been pushing both countries toward a formal agreement to halt hostilities. Syrian military officials recently told AFP that Damascus had withdrawn all heavy weaponry from southern Syria as a goodwill gesture, though Israel has shown little willingness to reciprocate with concrete concessions.
Sources: AP; ANI; Anadolu Agency; Gulf News; Bloomberg
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